Effective Pet Handling - Part 1

Effective Pet Handling Through Understanding Series - PART 1 of 6

NATURAL INSTINCTS

A dog's natural instinct plays a vital role in pet handling. It is often difficult to differentiate between instinct and intelligence. Instinct is an urge from within. Instinct makes a dog act in certain ways and has no connection with intelligence.

A common misperception is that the expectations we have for dogs are far above their ability. Some people believe dogs understand complex thought patterns and are able to comprehend our moral and ethical codes. They assume a dog's level of understanding is the same as our own. There is a scientific name for this, Anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism means: “to assign emotion or thought patterns to animals or objects, which are incapable of achieving such dimensions.”

This is not the case. Dogs work on drive levels and instinct. It is important while handling a dog to keep in mind that they do not have the capacity to comprehend the complex thought processes that bring us to understand human emotions, language and behavior.

Most instincts provide pleasure to the dog, and because it associates the action with pleasure, learning to use the natural instinct for handling purposes will produce a positive result.

The first is an instinct that is reinforced when the dog is a puppy. Female dogs carry their young by gently picking them up by the back of the neck. The puppy instinctually stops playing and/or wiggling when it is in this position. Using this knowledge and simulating the same pressure that a mother exerts in controlling her puppies will assist in handling the dog. It is important to remember this fact; the natural response of a mother or leader dog is to release the restraint or grasp as soon as the dog submits. Therefore, restrain when needed.

The second instinct is how a subordinate dog will be ‘muzzled' by another dog. This puts that dog into a submissive state. You can illicit that same state by simulating the same behavior on that dog.

Employing these tactics will not only produce the desired response, but will also be consistent with the natural canine communication.

Learn about the Leading Behavior Modification Equipement at Groomers Helper®.

Ultimate Guide to Dog Health

Every dog owner knows that he or she has to annually budget for vet bills. And that can get really expensive lately. Especially in the economic times we live in, it is essencial that we do whatever we can to keep those costs to a minimum.

Here's how to quickly and easily benefit from 35 proven ways to keep your dog healthy. This eBook is 44 pages with 35 proven tips on every topic regarding dogs' health. It also includes 4 bonuses, and has a 30 days money back guarantee.

Tips for Training a Labrador Puppy

The Labrador is one of the most intelligent and trainable breeds around. They are eager learners and people pleasers. No wonder they are mostly used to be trained as guide dogs for the blind. Once trained they are very reliable in responding to the commands they were taught. Every blind person who owns a Labrador for a guide dog depends for his or her life on that dog.

Like in any breed one gets exceptions and not all Labradors qualify to be trained as guide dogs. I believe anybody who saw the movie "Marley and Me" would agree to that. One thing to remember when training a Labrador is that they have quite an appetite. This can be used to your advantage. This makes them perfect candidates for clicker training, and from my experience, I know that they respond very well to clicker training. So I definately recommend that you as Labrador owner get informed about clicker training and use that.

The most important tip for training a Labrador puppy is to start early. In fact you should start the very moment that puppy sets foot in your house. Lay the ground rules and stick to it. Do NOT look at that puppy as a cute little bundle of love (yes he is, I know!). Look at that puppy as a "soon to be 7 month old, energetic, wants to eat everything, wants to jump on everyone" puppy. Do not allow him to jump up, do not allow him to play-bite.

Secondly, be very consistent in all your training. From the very start, expect his best performance for his age. Training must always be fun and games. Do not kill his enthusiasm by punishment, but always keep it positive. You have to be strict but not harsh. There are Labradors that are more calm, docile and submissive- they should be treated very gently.

Then of cause, training sessions should be very short. It really depends on each dog's attention span, but three 10 min sessions with play included in the session is better than one 30 minute session.

These are the most important tips for training a labrador puppy.
Happy training!